


Holiday Fun Schedule Age 804

by THRILLHO



Series: Broten Holi-Daze [3]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Shopping, Christmas Tree, F/M, Holidays, Slice of Life, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:56:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28304172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/THRILLHO/pseuds/THRILLHO
Summary: Bulla hates to be excluded, it's the one thing that gets under her skin. When she finds that it's been going on for years behind her back, she's crashing it.A content prompt from the Broten server: ❄️WINTER/HOLIDAY THEME❄️That's it, that's the prompt.
Relationships: Bulla Briefs/Son Goten
Series: Broten Holi-Daze [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983962
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12





	Holiday Fun Schedule Age 804

**Author's Note:**

> I was kind of in a hurry to finish this one up by Christmas Eve and it's not as refined as I would like it to be but I still hope you enjoy!

“Trunks, you jerk!” Bulla said to herself as she searched high and low for the fifty thousand zeni boar bristle brush she swore by. It wasn’t in the sterling silver velvet-lined box on her vanity nor on her bathroom sink—the only other place it could be. She  _ needed  _ that brush, it took tremendous effort to maintain her long blue hair. The brush didn’t tangle or break her hair, it distributed her natural oils from her scalp to the ends of her hair, and it gave her scalp a soothing massage but most of all it made her hair look fantastic—and her brother knew it!

Under her bed, she only found a rolled-up sock and one of her many red headbands. Deep inside her massive closet, there was nothing but shelves of shoes and rows of clothes. More to the point, what did she even do? Slamming her junk drawer—where the brush wasn’t either—she stomped over to her brother’s room, ready to raise hell.

“Where’s my brush, asshole!” She came in screaming to his bachelor pad. She hated his taste in decor, all matte and grey and blues. Cold, like him. Trunks hadn’t moved at all from his desk chair, her outburst having no effect at all. He just swiveled in his seat rather slowly—like a supervillain—toward Bulla, looking thoroughly disinterested.

He tapped his pen on the edge of the desk that was covered in paperwork. “For the last time, I don’t go into your room to hide your stuff.  _ You,”  _ he pointed at her with his pen, “keep misplacing everything.”

“Don’t give me that crap, your scent is all over the place and when I find it I’m going to analyze the fingerprints in mom’s lab!” She swiped one of the pieces of paper off his desk—she hoped it was as important to him as her hairbrush was to her—for a sample before Trunks could stop her. It was thicker and more rigid than the typical office document and from a glance, it likely wasn’t!  _ Dammit!  _ Bulla thought as she saw Trunks catch on and gather his papers for safekeeping from her.

“What’s this?” Bulla lifted the paper to show Trunks. She read the loopy font title at the top aloud, “Holiday Fun Schedule Age 804?” Her eyebrows rose upon comprehending the title. It looked like someone used one of those ancient computer art programs to make a cutesy flier. Aside from the fun fonts, it was bordered with sprigs of holly and Christmas wreaths with clip art of Santa Claus and his reindeer in one corner and a cat in a Santa hat saying ‘Meowy Christmas’ in another. Down the middle, there were dates and descriptions she barely glanced at.

Trunks waved his hand dismissively. “That’s Goten’s thing. He does it every year.” His damned eyebrow lifted in curiosity. “Aren’t you part of his newsletter?”

“Uh, no. Why would I subscribe to such a thing anyway?” Goten was a cutie but she barely said hello to him as is and she did go through a phase of hiding on the roof with her dad shooting small ki blasts at any Son that flew by their house. Maybe he thought she didn’t like him...

“That’s weird. I got signed up for it even though I didn’t want to. I figured he just sent it to everyone. You can keep it.” He returned to shuffling through his close guarded papers.

Bulla’s eyes quickly scanned the paper, there were a bunch of activities there! “Seriously? He’s your best friend and—let’s face it, at this point—your better half and you’re not going to do any of this stuff with him?” A lot of the stuff was kind of weird for two straight guys in their thirties to do together but it never bothered them to look like a couple.

“Don’t worry, B. Nobody ever shows up to his things but he has fun all the same.”

“What do you mean, ‘nobody’? Who the hell else is on this list?” Bulla’s eyes narrowed at the indignity of it all. 

“Um, everybody?” Trunks looked at her as if she was the least popular girl in school. “You know, the usual suspects: the Kame Island peeps, Marron’s family, all the other Sons, grandma, grandpa, mom and dad—”

“Wait! Dad?” Bulla couldn’t help her shock. Their dad was on Goten’s mailing list but Bulla wasn’t? Most of all, out of everything that got under her skin, Bulla couldn’t stand to be excluded.

“Yeah, and then some other people you probably don’t know.” Trunks finished and started ignoring her and going back to his papers, leaving her standing there scowling. “Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be looking for your hairbrush? Hopefully, sooner rather than later. To be honest, your hair isn’t looking great.” 

Without another word, Bulla stomped out of her brother’s room, trying not to let him get to her. He was right though, her hair was a mess. She went back to her room, resolved to find her brush. She could order a new one but it wouldn’t get there for days! If she went out to buy one, everyone would see the bird’s nest on her head! 

She made as far as her bedroom door before she remembered she had taken Goten’s Holiday Fun Schedule. There was no fun in taking it when Trunks said she could have it. 

_ Oh gee, I wonder what fun I’m missing out on?  _ Bulla snickered. She had only taken a glance before but she doubted there was anything on there that she  _ wanted  _ to do even though she found her exclusion annoying.

“November 26th,” Bulla mumbled, reading from the page, “Holiday shopping at the mall.” Her eyes brightened at that. “December first: Help pick out Goten’s Christmas tree.” She giggled at the goofy half-Saiyan. He was just too damn wholesome for his own good. Even though she wasn’t invited, she felt a twinge of guilt at what Trunks had said,  _ “Nobody ever shows up to his things…”  _

“Someone should,” she said to no one. What a surprise Goten would be in for when she showed up to meet him at the mall! The smile from reading his list never departed her face.

* * *

It took some effort on her part, she didn’t have his phone number and she didn’t want to ask anyone else for it lest she get tongues wagging, but she found out the time and place to meet him for holiday shopping. Luckily, she found her hairbrush—and Trunks’ fingerprints all over it as she suspected—and was presentable for a day out.

As soon as she felt his energy leave his house, she left her own to pursue, careful not to get too close lest he  _ literally  _ sniff her out. She didn’t join him right away when he touched down in front of the West City Galleria. Instead, she opted to observe him for a while and see who else might show.  _ Bless his heart,  _ she thought as she saw him look around and smile, hopeful that others might come. Eventually, he shook his head—smile still present—and put one foot forward to go inside.  _ It’s showtime.  _

“So sorry,” she said, putting a hand on Goten’s shoulder from behind. The older man jumped up, startled for a moment before turning around beaming at her.

“Bulla!” He greeted her warmly, all smiles and joy. “Glad you made it! We can cover more ground this way,” he said, never mentioning he didn’t invite her. 

“Uh, cover more ground for what?” Not that it mattered to her, she loved to shop even if it wasn’t for her.

“The deals! The sales!” he said, eyes sparkling.  _ A man after my own heart. _

“Okay, I’m game,” Bulla said, getting antsier as she saw more people file into the mall. They needed to get all the deals first. “Where do we start?”

“My mom,” Goten said, pulling out a piece of paper and pen from his inside coat pocket. “She wants kitten oven mitts, there’s more than a few stores here that sell home goods.”

“Right,” Bulla nodded, “But are those oven mitts with cats on them for people or oven mitts for kittens to wear when they take something out of the oven?”

“Good question.” Goten scratched his chin thinking, taking her seriously. “Let me call her,” he said as he pulled out his phone from his back pocket.

“No, no.” Bulla stopped him by grabbing his wrist. “I’m sure she wants oven mitts with kittens on them.” Goten nodded and put his phone away.

“Shall we?” He held out his arm to her. She debated whether or not to loop her arm through his but his enthusiasm was contagious and she acquiesced. However, it wasn’t long before they had to part ways to find the best prices.

_ “The beeswax head polish you want for Krillin is 1500 zeni at this store!”  _ Bulla shot off a quick text to Goten, having exchanged numbers when they decided to split up.

_ “I’ll be there in a sec!” _ He texted her back.  _ “That eau de toilette for your mom is 30% off over here.” _

And so it went, each exchanging their ideas for gifts and trading prices. Bulla never felt more thrilled and exhilarated shopping. It was even more of a thrill than flying. Regrettably, Bulla was already done shopping for everyone on her list, even herself, and bogged down by packages. She doubted she could carry another thing if she tried. Bulla began to center herself to reach out of Goten’s energy to tell him she was ready to leave but something shiny caught the corner of her eye. Mesmerized, her feet carried her to the jewelry store without thinking.

She was practically salivating as she admired the bracelets, pendants, and rings behind their glass cases. She didn’t know how long she stood there, her mind in a trance, until she heard, “It’s like you read my mind!”

“Wha? Goten?” Bulla discreetly wiped the corner of her mouth with her long sleeve. “What are you doing here?” To her knowledge, Goten came from hillbilly mountain people. Why would he come into this store of his own volition?

“Girls like jewelry, don’t they? This is much better than the hot sauce collection I got her.” That took Bulla back a bit. He got that for Marron. She had a sharp memory when it came to shopping. Did he like Marron? The jewelry seemed to sparkle less.

“But Marron loves hot sauce,” Bulla pointed out. “She’d probably appreciate that more.”

“You’re right,” Goten said, then hesitated. “But I want to do something different this year. Help me pick something out.” Bulla wasn’t sure if she was imagining things but she noticed Goten’s cheeks redden.

She was no longer interested in shopping, however. “Uh, that.” She pointed to nowhere in particular. 

“Bulla, those are engagement rings!” Goten squeaked. It wasn’t her imagination, his face was bright red.

“Sorry,” she said though she didn’t doubt that’s where things were going. When she thought about it, Goten and Marron would be the classic love story if they gave it a shot. She distracted herself by looking at pretty things. 

Bulla floated to the earrings, drawn in by her favorite accessory. There were practically hearts in her eyes as she looked at them all. Sapphires, diamonds, tanzanites...and pearls! She let out a small gasp as she spotted them. 

“Pearl and diamond drop earrings. The finest south sea pearls, approximately twelve millimeters in diameter with a unique combination of round and marquise diamond cuts, all set in platinum,” the salesgirl—Julia, her name tag read—said when she noticed Bulla drooling. “All pieces in this display are one of a kind—”

“I’ll take them!” Goten said, appearing out of nowhere. Bulla missed her chance due to her politeness. If  _ she  _ rudely interrupted the salesgirl, they’d be her earrings now.

“Right away, sir!” The salesgirl went about opening the case and packaging the gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pearl earrings. It all happened so fast before Bulla could object. Even if Julia, the salesgirl, was lying about the rarity of those earrings, Bulla wouldn’t want them anymore if Marron already had them. 

“That will be one million zeni,” Julia said, smiling with her hand out.

“Uh…” Goten hesitated.  _ Yes! Now’s my chance!  _ Bulla thought. There was no way Goten could afford those, and then she’d swoop in and say, ‘ _ Well since you already wrapped them…’  _ “Wow, a bargain,” he joked and handed over his credit card happily enough.  _ Since when did he make that kind of dough?  _ She didn’t know him at all. Marron must have meant something special to him if Mr. Bargain didn’t even attempt to negotiate or find something else. 

Dejected, she walked out of the store without saying anything or making a scene, a real accomplishment for her. “Did you get all your Christmas shopping done?” Bulla asked Goten once he came out of the store.

“Yup, let’s see.” Goten dropped the bags in his overladen arms and took out his list. “My family, my friends, my family friends, my family’s pets, my friends’ pets, my family friends’ pets,” he said as he crossed off names on his list. “The postal carrier, my accountant, the local librarian, the crossing guard,” he rambled off more names—Bulla’s not among them—and then held up his latest purchase, “And one special girl! Thanks for the help, Bulla! I’ll see you at the next one.” He lightly punched her arm before picking up and taking off with his purchases. Secretly, she hoped he would drop some on his flight home.

As for her, she went home trying not to feel bad that she never received a present from Goten and that it wasn’t going to change this year.

* * *

Despite her personality, she found herself not cooled off on Goten at all, rationalizing presents were surprises and he couldn’t very well tell her then and there he bought her something. His Christmas cheer was infectious and she was more than ready to spread the holiday spirit. Next on the agenda: Christmas tree shopping! 

Bulma always had the largest Douglas fir set up and decorated by assistants and Bulla never got to pick one out or decorate it herself. It never felt like she was missing out because she always had the biggest and brightest Christmas tree but this excursion excited her.

Goten was having her meet him in Fukurou Forest and it would be cold so Bulla made sure to bundle up but still look stylish. She chose a knitted bodycon sweater dress, insulated leggings, knee-high riding boots, and a cute pea coat. She looked fabulous, to say the least. The last things she needed for her ensemble were a scarf and gloves which she did not have so she decided to do some snooping in her mom’s room, sure to keep her guard up.

Sensing an unknown presence as she stealthily crept to her parents’ room, she looked at Trunks’ door and she saw Julia the salesgirl scuttle out of her brother’s room, a hint of recognition on her face as she hightailed it out of there. Bulla glared at the girl’s retreating back, still upset she sold Goten those earrings. She’d make fun of Trunks later.

She helped herself to a complementary scarf and leather gloves from her mom’s closet and headed out. It would be cold that far north and it would be tempting to take a jet but she had spent too much time doing her eyeliner and she knew flying was the only way she’d make it on time. She made sure to use her energy as a barrier from the elements, mostly to protect her hair.

Goten didn’t specify a place so she honed her energy on finding his, letting it pinpoint her to his location. 

“Good, you’re here,” Goten said as she approached him from behind hoping to catch him off guard. She was only slightly disappointed. His winter wear—even though it wasn’t technically winter yet—was similar to hers, a sweater under a thick jacket but his boots looked more sturdy than stylish and well worn.

“You know, I thought we’d be going to a Christmas tree lot in the city, not roughing it in the forest.” The cold weather, the crunchy snow under her feet, and the  _ nature _ of it all were making her have regrets.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” He cocked his head toward a copse of evergreen trees. If she wasn’t aware of what kind of man Goten was, she’d hesitate before following him into a dense forest with no one else around. People in horror movies made far less stupid decisions.

“Fun, how?” Bulla felt something squishy and slippery under her foot as they trekked deeper into the forest. She hoped to god it was mud.

“Being out in nature and picking the best tree!” Goten’s enthusiasm was not dampened at all by the gross aspects of nature. “There’s a lot of evergreens around, find one that you think will look nice.”

“What do you care if  _ I  _ think it looks nice? It’s going to your house.” The earlier Christmas spirit bubbling up in her pretty much evaporated when her long, loose hair got caught in a protruding branch.

“Have you ever gotten to pick a tree?” Bulla shook her head—or at least tried to—a new strand of hair was tangled in  _ another  _ branch. “Nobody’s come with me to pick one in ages so it’ll be  _ our  _ tree.” He smiled looking so carefree that Bulla found it difficult to maintain her sour mood.

“Okay, fine,” Bulla conceded and  _ barely  _ rolled her eyes. Goten’s joy in sharing everything made it impossible not to be willing and ready for any of his schemes.

He patted her on the back, hard enough to make her stumble. “Now that’s being in the Christmas spirit,” he said, almost knocking it out of her with his  _ manhandling _ . “Now, let’s go!”

It was kilometers of trudging through the snow with neither of them agreeing on a tree. If Goten found one tall enough, Bulla found it too spindly. If it was full and would fit in Goten’s house, Bulla would point out it was crooked.

“It’s too fat,” Goten said when Bulla pointed to the perfect tree.

“Oh, c’mon on Goten, it’s lush, full and green, it would actually be a shame to cut it down. You’re not saying no just to keep me out here longer, are you?” Despite the weather, Bulla was having fun arguing over Christmas trees with Goten.

“No, why would I do that?” He looked completely clueless as if it couldn’t  _ possibly  _ cross his mind to enjoy Bulla’s company.

It was odd to her, how they were out there in the snow...West City didn’t have snow and she was surrounded by it…

“Anyway,” Goten turned back to the tree she picked out. Whatever he was going to say, he didn’t get a chance to because Bulla took advantage of his turned back and fired a snowball at the back of his head. It wouldn’t hurt him, of course, but it would be unpleasant to be blasted in the head with something cold and wet. He whipped his face back immediately but Bulla was prepared and shot another one off so fast she couldn’t even decipher his expression, hitting him dead center.

“You’re going to pay for that one, Briefs.”

“Bring it on,” Bulla challenged, priming more snowballs. She pulled her arm back ready to launch at the stupidly standing still Goten.  _ You’re lucky you have a pretty face.  _ She aimed this one at his solar plexus but it went  _ through _ him?

“Afterimage technique,” a deep voice whispered in her ear before she felt the cold, creeping sensation of ice running down her back, setting her nerves on pins and needles.

“Eeeee!!” She shrieked, turning around frantically trying to find the bastard. She saw the snowball pass right by her face with such precision that it didn’t even graze her but it was threateningly close, like a warning shot. He must have taken cover somewhere and she realized she was standing out in the open like Gohan in a battle!

Giggling, she rushed behind a particularly thick tree, her back to it, keeping her eye out for Goten.

The clever lad was hiding his energy leaving Bulla to literally sniff him out, she had a feeling he was doing the same to her. After waiting a few seconds and not picking up anything Bulla heard the crunch of a snapping twig. Instinctively, she gathered up some snow and threw it in the direction she heard, careful not to let her guard down. 

She knew it connected before she heard Goten say, “Crap!” Stealthiness was no fun in a snowball fight; she was a woman of action. She made herself known and continued the onslaught as quickly as she could form snowballs. Goten quickly got the hint and soon it was a torrent of flying snowballs and ducking behind trees and running back out.

Neither of them were wearing the right kind of material for an all-out snowball war—not that their clothes would have kept dry anyway—and Bulla was ready to end things after a good thirty minutes as her clothes were getting soaked. In all the laughing and running, she hadn’t noticed.

Bulla saw where Goten was taking cover at the moment, crouched near a tree, its branches piled with snow. Perfect. Not being able to resist some theatrics, Bulla flew high into the air and did somersaults upon her descent.“Hiyah!” Bulla didn’t hold back her scream as she kicked the tree hard enough to shake the excess snow off its branches and onto Goten. “What a handsome snowman,” Bulla said to Goten, now buried under a pile of snow.

“Hahaha, oh my god! Your hair!” Bulla devolved into a fit of giggles when she saw Goten fight to emerge.

“Oh, no!” Goten knew exactly what she meant without needing to look and he tried to flatten his hair down with his hands but it was no use. With no hair products around to tame it, his hair was stuck in his father’s trademark spikes. Bulla had only seen pictures of Goten as a kid with that style, she always assumed it wasn’t natural.

“So your hair doesn’t grow?” Bulla asked once she overcame her giggling fit. She wondered if Marron knew anything about that.

“I’d liken it to fur,” Goten said as he continued trying to restyle his hair. “If I don’t cut it, it just grows to a certain length and just falls out. When it gets this long, I try to make it obey gravity.”

“Better get that haircut sooner rather than later then, Goku.”

“Ha ha,” he said, sounding anything but mirthful. “And if you get a haircut I’ll be calling you Bulma.” 

Bulla ignored that and looked past Goku’s clone to see the tree he was hiding near, now cleared of its snow. “You know, Kakarot, I think you did end up finding the perfect tree.” She took a closer inspection of the evergreen tree, noted its height, color, and thick thistles. There would be little—if nothing—for Goten to complain about. There weren’t even animals nesting in this one.

“Huh,” Goten said, standing next to her and taking in the tree. “I think you’re right. We’ve found ourselves a Christmas tree!”

“Great! Where’s the saw?”

“Uh….”

* * *

December fourth just read, “Drink egg nog,” but knowing Goten, it likely wasn’t that simple.

Bulla hardly knew Goten so why was she always picking up her phone to text him or see if he messaged her back? Maybe it was because she received his personalized Christmas card in the mail? She had never been on his list before and his card was a delight, just like him. It read, ‘Jingle Bell Rock,’ and he had drawn a rock with a face covered in bells underneath. Inside was a lovely inscription, ‘Merry Christmas, Bulla. Best Wishes, Goten.’ Oh god, she was pathetic.

She drove up to his house—where she had never been before—and sat in the car for a few good minutes wondering why the bungalow was plain and undecorated for a guy who seemingly went all out for Christmas.

Bulla’s car keys jiggled in her hand as her boot heels clicked on the pavement towards his door. She was nervous approaching, not enough to second guess herself, but enough to take a deep breath before knocking.

It was as if he had been standing on the other side waiting for her because she hadn’t even started her second knock when he opened the door up wide to greet her.

“Come in! Come in!” Goten said, motioning her in. He looked the same as ever, cheerful and enthusiastic but this time wearing a blue jolly snowman sweater with a white snowflake pattern.

His house was no Capsule Corp but what house was? He was a single man—as far as she knew and didn’t need much space. The front opened up to the spacious living room with a separate kitchen towards the back. There was a small hallway to the side where she assumed the bathroom and bedrooms were but the first thing Bulla noticed was the bare naked Christmas tree in a corner of his living room and boxes with decorations spilling out. “What? You haven’t decorated your tree? After all that trouble we went through?”

“Precisely, that’s why I couldn’t do it without you. It wouldn’t be fair for me to have all the fun when you put in so much effort to get it here.”

“You mean you were too lazy to do it by yourself?”

With no shame at all, he said, “Yeah, that and we would have done it last time if not for you know...everything else.”

“You mean the snowball fight or the fact that you didn’t bring a saw so we had to dig it out and uproot it with our hands?” Bulla had to throw out her mom’s shredded gloves and get her a replacement on the sly.

He didn’t answer but took a sharp inhale of breath when he took a real moment to look at her. “Your outfit,” he said.

“What’s wrong with my outfit?” It was a warm December day in West City and she threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve top, not needing to be bundled up unlike for the Christmas tree hunt.

“New item on the agenda,” Goten whipped out his copy of the Holiday Fun Schedule and penciled something in that she couldn’t see. “We need to find you a Christmas sweater.”

“Shopping?” Bulla started getting bouncy thinking of all the damage she could do with her credit card. 

“Nope! Took care of it already!” Goten whipped around and brought out a plain white gift box to her. She took off the top while Goten still held it to reveal the most garish, tacky looking thing she had ever seen; she loved it immediately.

It was a green knit sweater with gold garland wrapped around the cuffs and collar. There were random rhinestones and beaded sequin snowflakes dotted throughout the sweater but the coup-de-gras was the cat in a red sequined Santa hat with a real bell on the end in the center of the sweater. ‘Meowy Christmas Santa Claws’ it read.

“It’s perfect,” Bulla said and tossed the lid aside. It was Goten’s house and she was the guest; he would pick it up later. She was glad her outfit wasn’t so cumbersome that she could put it on over shirt easily. 

“Good! Let’s get to eggnog tasting. We need to have as much as we can before the government takes it away again.”

_ So it really is just eggnog tasting? No wonder no one comes to this particular activity.  _

“And decorating the tree too.” Okay, she reconciled herself to that one. “Don’t forget the house.”  _ Say what?  _ Was this some con Goten pulled every year to get unsuspecting people searching for the Christmas spirit into his home for free labor? No wonder everyone else saw through it. Nevertheless, Bulla rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work.

Goten poured them flights of different types of eggnog to sample as Bulla pulled out the ornaments and lights from Goten’s chaotic and disorganized box of decorations. There were baubles of various colors, finishes, sizes, and shapes; wooden toy ornaments; some pop culture ones; and flimsy glittery snowflakes in different colors.

“So,” Bulla began as she took in the mishmash of tree decor, “What kind of theme or color scheme are you going for? Mom usually goes with a different color scheme each year. You know, to make it look classy.”

“Oh,” he paused, looking back and forth from his tree and his box of ornaments. “Should we go out and buy some new ones to make it more stylish? I just use the ones I’ve always liked.”

“No!” Bulla was quick to say. She’d never had a Christmas tree where substance was put above style. “I think it’s sweet.” Getting into the spirit, she grabbed the first mystery cup from the tray Goten brought and gulped it down. “But this isn’t.” She smacked her lips together in a bid to get rid of the taste. “What is this?” 

“Almond nog, it’s vegan,” Goten said as he tried his own sample and promptly made a disgusted face.

“Okay, it’s disgusting. It just tastes like nutmeg water, bleh.”

“Agreed. I only got it because it was new. I’ll send it to my dad; he’ll eat or drink anything that won’t poison him.” Bulla laughed at the accuracy, her dad was the same way. He often said anything on Earth was better than ‘mission meat,’ whatever that was.

Bulla tried another cup; it was another weird one. “Goten, didn’t you get any regular eggnog?” She didn’t like that one either.

“Yeah, but I had to be inclusive of the lactose intolerant, vegans, diabetics, and people with egg allergies.”

“Goten, we’re the only two people here and we don’t fit into any of those categories.”

“I never give up hope!” That made Bulla’s heart ache a bit as she recalled her brother saying no one ever showed up to Goten’s events but he looked as chipper as always and unbothered.

The two made idle chit chat as they got to work decorating Goten’s tree and sampling eggnog.

“Okay, what’s the story with this ornament?” Bulla held up a glass t-rex in a Santa hat covetously holding a present.

“One of my favorites,” he said. He was detangling lights and barely took a glance at her, so focused on his task was he. “Marron gave it to me.” Bulla regretted drawing attention to it. Wouldn’t it be a pity if she dropped it? But she couldn’t do that to him so she put in a place of prominence on the tree. When they were done, it looked like a wreck but it was the best Christmas tree Bulla ever saw.

Then decorating the outside was a breeze once Goten got his lights untangled. Because they could fly, there was no need for safety and ladders, and the lights were hung easily enough. It came down to a head when they argued about where Santa and his reindeer should go and ended up with Goten tackling her and Bulla asserting her dominance by pinning him until he gave in to her suggestion.

“These eggnog popsicles are fantastic!” Bulla said as she licked the creamy confection on a stick. They were all finished now and were trying the last of the eggnog confections Goten managed to procure. “I hate these eggnog truffles though. Who the hell likes white chocolate?”

“I do!” He pulled her hand to his face and popped the candy she had bitten into his mouth, barely missing her fingers with his teeth. “These are great! You’re crazy,” he said while chewing. “Do you want some more eggnog cake or should I send it to one of our dads?”

“Dad pile,” Bulla decided. She had enjoyed the cake but after today she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to drink or eat anything eggnog flavored again. Goten wasn’t put off by it though.

“Okay, but what about,” Bulla turned to Goten with a mischievous glint in her eye. “The original eggnog? Something boozy?”

“I like the way you think, girl,” he said as he went to his kitchen and came back waving a bottle in his hand. “And I’ve got more where that came from.” He winked at her motioning to the kitchen.

It wasn’t long before they made a mess of Goten’s kitchen with some tolerable and some disgusting concoctions littered about. They all had the same effect however and got them more than a little tipsy.

There was so much joy in hanging out with Goten—she never stopped smiling or laughing—that she hadn’t noticed how many hours had gone by. Feeling a little bolder than she started, she asked, “For a guy who goes all out, where is your mistletoe?”

He laughed at that. “Believe me, I don’t need mistletoe to get a Christmas kiss.” He blew a kiss her way.

She giggled and made a big show of dodging, “Ew!” Goten responded by sending more air kisses her way that she also pretended to dodge. He was so silly!

Regrettably, she looked at the time and noted she should be going home for her sake and Goten’s. “I should head out now.” Then she did something she had never done before, she hugged him, falling into his arms and melding herself onto him.  _ Why is he so good at hugging? _ she thought as he gave her a firm but comforting squeeze. 

They stayed that way a few seconds before she pulled back. “What’s your hurry?” Goten asked, looking at her intently with glassy eyes. “It’s pretty cold out there.”

“Well, I’d love to stay but my family might worry.” Bulla pouted. Never mind the optics of the situation.

“There’s technology now. You can let them know you’re fine,” Goten said.  _ Yeah and have daddy and Trunks breaking down your door? I’d never live it down. _

She smiled at him to show there weren’t any hard feelings. “I’m getting a little tired.”

“Not good conditions to get behind the wheel and not to mention the drinking and driving,” Goten said, gathering her own ‘dad pile’ to take home.

“What about drinking and flying?” She laughed but he didn’t. “I can capsule my car.”

“You’ll freeze out there.” 

It wasn’t just the drink that kept her laughing but Goten’s ridiculousness. “It’s West City, Goten. The high will be twenty-two degrees tomorrow and you gave me this fancy sweater remember.” She struck a pose.

“At least, let me go with you. Here, take my coat too. It’s always colder up high.” Goten wrapped his black double-breasted trench coat over her shoulders.

“All right,” she agreed. They didn’t really talk on the short flight to Capsule Corp; Bulla wasn’t lying when she said she was starting to feel tired. Soon, Bulla could feel the steady low energies of her brother and father sleeping peacefully. She did stay out late!

“Thank you for dropping in by the way. I was really hoping you would,” Goten said after they landed at the entrance. 

“For the free labor?”

He chuckled, finally breaking his uncharacteristic serious façade. “Yeah, that too.”  _ That too?!  _ Bulla internally squealed while trying to keep her face impassive.

“Good night, Bulla,” he whispered. He bent down slightly to her level and planted a—disappointingly—chaste kiss on her forehead.

“Good night,” she replied and watched him silently take off back to his house, noting he didn’t even ask for his coat back.

She went to bed in a haze of giddiness wrapped up in Goten’s coat, falling asleep inhaling his scent, wishing he was with her.

* * *

“Does it bother you that Marron never comes to these things?” Bulla felt they had been hanging out enough to get more personal.  _ What was his life like?  _ She learned small tidbits about him and vice-versa but there was that impatient part of her that was ready to ask invasive questions. At his befuddled look, she backed down, “Or Trunks, Pan, or anyone else?” she said, losing her nerve.

“ _ You _ came,” he said. “What more could I ask for?” His response completely avoided the question. Bulla could never figure him out, whether he was sincere when he said things like that or if he was just buttering her up.

“I can’t believe you’re not using me as a workhorse this time around,” Bulla said. For once, he was letting her relax with a walk down West City’s Christmas neighborhood; that one street in every town where all the residents went all out on their Christmas decorations. They had been texting each other so much that Goten showed up at Capsule Corp with hot chocolate to fly with her there instead of her coming to him or meeting him there; almost like a date.

“Work?” He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “That was part of the holiday fun!” She tensed up wondering if this physical affection trait was inherited from Goku or if it was something about her. That’s why she needed to investigate. She knew he didn’t have a partner or girlfriend—she would have shown up at least once the past week—but what about Marron? Compared to the other presents he bought, the earrings were downright extravagant! Who bought nine hundred zeni oven mitts for his mother but a one million zeni present for  _ just a friend? _

She opted not to detach herself from Goten and continued walking snuggled up to him, aware they looked like a couple from outside eyes. “C’mon, Goten,” she tried in her most persuasive voice. “You can tell me if you like Marron more than a friend. It does make sense,” she hated to admit. “Your dads are best friends—”

“Hahaha,” he laughed and took his arm off her. “I’d say these days  _ our  _ dads are best friends.” Bulla tried not to scowl at his evasiveness.

“You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about Marron  _ that  _ way.” 

The man blushed bright red and put more space between himself and Bulla. “Wow, aren’t those decorations great?” Goten pointed to a house with lots of lawn inflatables; a Santa coming out of a chimney, reindeer, and dragons for some reason. “The perfect inspiration for decorating our gingerbread house.” Why did he always frame everything as ‘ours’ when she was around? She could never say she would frame it the same way.

“Dragons?” He couldn’t be serious. Gingerbread houses were little cottages decorated with gumdrops and icing. What did dragons have to do with Christmas?

“Yeah!” Goten turned to her, now animated and full of excitement. “I knew this would be the perfect inspiration! A gingerbread castle with dragons guarding it!”

“Or trying to invade and eat it.”

“Even better!”

* * *

Bulla looked at the gingerbread castle in Goten’s window and couldn’t stop laughing. Despite her lack of progress on the Marron front, she was still glad to help with the gingerbread castle and the results were hilarious. They hadn’t managed to keep the towers structurally sound but the wreck looked perfect for the conquering blue and black iced dragons. 

Today, they were baking cookies. Goten called it the ‘Christmas Cookie Competition’ but once again, it was only the two of them participating.

Because it was only the two of them, they needed to make five types each to make it more interesting. For her ‘winner,‘ she was inspired by Goten. He was always sunshine and sweetness so she went for a chewy lemon drop cookie with white chocolate chips despite her aversion to the ingredient but she knew Goten liked them and she didn’t hate it in the cookies either. She decided to use her family as inspiration for three of her other batches. Strawberry macarons for her mom, purple lavender shortbread for Trunks, and spice cookies flavored with whisky for her dad. The last batch was the only requirement: chocolate chip. 

Goten made snickerdoodles that smelled divine and she couldn’t wait to try them herself. She  _ loved  _ snickerdoodles. He also made decorated iced sugar cookies—that would win best design, no doubt—blueberry oatmeal bars, and chocolate and peppermint whoopie pies.

“I may have cheated a bit,” Bulla said, presenting her tray of cookies. “My grandma helped me.” Even though she had stopped baking a while ago, Goten still had her wear a festive apron for the occasion like in their favorite baking show—a fact they recently discovered they had in common. 

“Hmmm...I leave it up to the judges to decide if you’re disqualified.” Goten turned to the judges as if he were a game show host. “Judges?”

One judge was sitting with his legs and arms crossed and incredibly surly, probably because Bulla wrapped him in garland and made him wear a Santa hat. The other was practically bouncing in his seat, wearing antlers and a red nose.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Keep her in! Those cookies smell delicious!” Judge #1 reached for her tray but he was stopped by Judge #2 catching his wrist.

“Typical Kakarot! You have no patience! It’s my turn to go first this year!”

“Aw, c’mon Vegeta, you live with Bulla. I bet you got to lick the bowls. I haven’t tried anything yet and this is the first time someone else made cookies in a while.” Her dad didn’t let go of Goku’s wrist as he reached for one of the spice cookies. 

“Don’t think I’ll favor you because you’re my daughter,” Vegeta addressed Bulla.  _ He says that but he totally will. _ “I take my integrity as a judge very seriously.”

* * *

“Are you sending these to people you hate?”

It wasn’t on the schedule but Goten invited Bulla over anyway to help bake things for Goten’s B-list holiday gifts; fruitcake for those who celebrated Christmas and chocolate babkas for those that did not. Which list Bulla belonged to, she was afraid to ask for fear of disappointment. Instead, Bulla focused on her latest chore; she was in charge of the babkas, again acting like Goten’s workhorse. She wasn’t sure she ever tried fruitcake but she knew their reputation.

“Try it.” Goten said, putting a slice of his ‘patented’ cake in front of her.

“I can’t! My hands are busy kneading this sticky ass dough.”

“Then open your mouth and say ‘aahhh.’”

“Aaahh,” Bulla obeyed. Goten popped a piece of cake in her mouth. The texture hit her first, the moistness and richness coating her mouth pleasantly while the chewiness of the dried fruit gave a burst of flavor. The potent—but not overwhelming—spices and alcohol hit her next bringing it all together for something delicious.

“It’s alright, I guess,” Bulla shrugged and continued to knead the dough. She was still bitter about losing to him in the chocolate chip cookie category with her grammy’s recipe. Her dad was a real bastard.

Goten didn’t look deflated at all. On the contrary, he was bursting with pride. “That’s what your dad said about my cookies! High praise, indeed!”

* * *

There were no frozen lakes or ponds in West City and the commercial ice skating rinks were always packed, not something Bulla was endeared to and she almost pulled out but she couldn’t stand disappointing him. What was happening to her that she was putting Goten’s happiness over hers? Was it—?

“Hey!” Goten’s appearance interrupted her thoughts. “Let’s get going!” He barely showed up on her lawn and was rushing her away! This was unusual for him. Normally, he’d insist on saying hi to her mom and grandma, at least.

“I’m glad you can fly because I have a great idea in mind,” Goten said as he led her by the elbow away from the house.

“I thought we were taking the jet?” Bulla said, capsule in hand. That’s why she was waiting outside in the first place. 

“It will take too long. Just trust me, okay?” He held his hand out for her to take. His demeanor was still rushed and dare she think  _ jumpy?  _ The problem was when Goten told Bulla to trust him, all critical thinking went out the window and she nodded and smiled like a little fool, giddy at the opportunity of holding his hand. So  _ of course  _ she didn’t question anything and slipped her hand in his, relishing the feeling of how easy it fit and felt. It was short-lived because as soon as he gripped her hand he nearly pulled her arm out of her socket when he pulled her into the sky.

“Wah! Goten!” She hadn’t expected such a rough take-off and she wasn’t even sure Goten even heard her screams of discontent. He was going fast and the sound of the rushing wind beating against her ears made it even hard for her to hear her own voice. Nevertheless, Goten must have sensed her distress. Instead of continuing to drag her behind him, he pulled her close, almost an embrace with Bulla’s face pressed up against Goten’s chest. She could feel the uptick in his heart rate, same as hers, even though he wasn’t exerting himself, and she found the rhythm comforting. It was all over too soon however when Bulla found her feet planted on the ground.

The first thing she did when she reluctantly left Goten’s arms was to pull out her phone and smooth down her hair before she even took a look around where they landed. 

“C’mon, Bulla!” She heard Goten laugh. “You’re out in nature, no one’s gonna see you out here.”

Where were they? Bulla put her phone down giving her an unobstructed view of the snowy landscape before her. It wasn’t exactly like something out of a winter wonderland. The trees were few and sparse while the landscape was completely flat with no picturesque mountains in the background. Bulla had a feeling the scenery wasn’t the draw when she spotted the frozen lake. 

“We better hurry. We’re so far up north there are only a few hours of sunlight,” Goten said as he began to change into his skates with the enthusiasm of a child.

Bulla hesitated after she broke out her new skates—purchased just for this outing—and laced them up. Growing up in a warm climate, Bulla didn’t understand the appeal of ice skating. Trunks had taken her once as a child but—

“What are you waiting for?” Goten shouted over to her as he took to the ice moving like a speed skater and promptly falling. She felt her nerves melt away as the laughter erupted outside her. “Think this is funny?” Goten said. Forgoing the skates as his momentum, he scooped her up before she realized he even raised his energy. She squealed as he carried her out to the ice, her heart rate picking up again but he didn’t plop her on the ice like she thought he might.

His line of sight went to her feet at her pristine white ice skates. “When was the last time you did this?”

“When was the last time you did? You took a tumble.” She let out a strained laugh she hoped Goten didn’t notice. “You can put me down, I got this.” He complied and Bulla skated a figure eight and just as she had seen in figure skating competitions, she lept in the air twisting her body into three rotations and landing on one leg.

“Very nice,” Goten gave a slow clap, “but it’s interesting how there are no markings on the ice.” He smirked at her like he found her out. “It’s not ice skating if you’re using your energy to float above the ice.” Far from making fun of her though, he skated up behind her—slowly this time—and cradled her elbows. “You said it yourself, you’ve got this,” he said quietly into her ear, his hot breath tickling the sensitive side of her neck. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off him in the cold weather.

Reluctantly, she let herself fall that millimeter she kept herself raised above the ice. Goten held her steady as she stood still, daring not to move. Her nerves had nothing to do with potentially falling. No, she was long past that. It was the proximity between them that put her on edge. This was different than before when he basically manhandled her and pulled her at ungodly speeds. 

“Steady now,” Goten said quietly, as he moved his hands from her elbows up her arms and down her rib cage to rest on her hips, never breaking the physical contact, his hot hands leaving an invisible trail of heat on her body. He pulled away from her slightly, gradually increasing the space between them until his fingertips were barely on her hips. Bulla dragged one foot forwards and then the other to propel her a few centimeters. 

Despite his fall earlier, Goten skated a circle around her until he appeared in front of her, arms out. “Okay now, just follow me as I move backward. If you feel like you’re going to fall, just reach out and I’ll be there to catch you.” That’s something she appreciated about Goten. He didn’t take the opportunity to give her any trouble for not knowing how to do something. He understood her reluctance and provided a comforting presence free from judgment. That gave her a little more confidence to take more strides. Goten cheered her on with whatever progress she had made and soon she was laughing along with him despite her clumsy skating. She did try to chase Goten around the frozen lake but they ended up colliding and taking a hard fall. 

“That’s enough skating, I think,” Goten said. “How about a snowman?”

“How do I know you won’t grab a bunch of snow and pour it down my shirt?” Bulla said, remembering that particularly nasty move weeks ago.

“You don’t,” Goten said, not even looking at her. He started gathering up snow for whatever he was going to end up making but Bulla had her own ideas.

“Well, then, we’ll see who can make the better snowman,” she challenged. Her idea required less snow than whatever Goten was cooking up.

Now she just needed some branches. It wasn’t a woodsy area where one could find broken branches and fallen twigs on the ground. They’d need to break off some branches from the few trees. 

“Which of these trees won’t mind me breaking off their arms? They all have so many leaves,” Bulla asked Goten. She approached the nearest one with Goten jogging up behind her.

“Mmm...those aren’t leaves, that’s mistletoe,” Goten pointed out. “Parasitic pain in the asses mistletoe species are.” Goten moved closer to where she was standing and Bulla panicked remembering the holiday tradition.

“What are you doing?” Bulla said as he made it to her side with a pensive look on his face but he walked right by her and inspected the tree.

“This tree might be too far gone.” He used his hands to examine the cracks in the tree. “It’s dry too. Look at how it’s bent, the roots are losing their strength.” Bulla nodded, not knowing what the hell he was talking about but was pretending like she did. “It’s perfect for some firewood!” With carelessness he didn’t show his Christmas tree, he pulled it out of the ground and threw it into the air in one swift movement. As it came down, he got into a fighting stance and kicked it. Much to her surprise, the tree broke apart into equal uniform pieces and fell into a perfect pile while the gnarled branches scattered about. Her mouth hung open from the shock.

“What the hell did I just see?”

“A trick I learned from my dad, pretty cool, huh?” Goten went to gather up the branches that were more appropriate for snowman arms.

Bulla shook her head while his back was turned and went back to her snowman. They worked apart from each other for some time until Goten declared, “Aha! Done!” when Bulla put the finishing touches on hers.

Being so far out and not thinking ahead, they were working with limited materials for their snowmen. Still, he carved out a smile and eyes for his snowman and positioned the arms like it was cheering. 

“Very cute,” Bulla said and moved aside to show him hers.

“Really, Bulla?” Goten let out an exasperated sigh.

“What?” She looked back to her creation. “What’s wrong with it?”

She thought she did a good job depicting the terror in her snowman’s face swimming away from the snow sharks.

Goten didn’t answer but burst out laughing. “You crack me up, kid.”

“If you like that one, I think I have another idea,” Bulla said.

This time they worked together to form a snowman around a tree making it look like it had been impaled but once again, they found themselves damp and cold during their holiday fun. Playing in the snow tended to do that no matter what you were wearing Bulla was learning. Furthermore, it was already dark. Goten hadn’t been fooling her when he said there were only a few hours of sunlight in this part of Earth. Luckily, Bulla still had her jet capsule with her and she insisted they take that instead of tearing through the sky at Mach speeds.

“So what’s next on the Holiday Fun Schedule?” Bulla asked as she divested herself of her damp outerwear and cranked up the heat on the jet plane. A few hours with Goten wasn’t enough and she hoped he thought the same about her.

“I’ll whip you up the best hot chocolate ever!” He rubbed his hands together. “Make a beeline for my place!” He pointed straight ahead which was not actually in the direction of his house.

“You’re such a dork,” Bulla said and shook her head as she took off.

“Hey!”

“But I find it endearing.”

“Oh, okay then.”

Her jet was no match for them flying under their own power but they made good time regardless and soon they were in West City.

“Okay, you sit here.” Goten pointed to his rug in front of the fireplace. He had gathered up the wood from their latest excursion and piled it in his fireplace, igniting it with a concentrated energy blast. Then, he also fired up his stereo to start playing holiday music. 

“I’ve been over so much I feel like I practically live here now,” Bulla said, kicking off her boots and stretching herself on the rug by the fire like a cat. She hadn’t exerted herself much but she still felt that intoxicating drowsiness of contented exhaustion. Everything seemed to fit into place here.

“You certainly make yourself at home,” Goten said from the kitchen where he was no doubt whipping up the best hot chocolate she would ever have, according to him that is. 

_ It would be nice, _ Bulla thought,  _ to share this cozy home with him. _ Her mind trailed off fantasizing about a life with Goten. She couldn’t help it. Every time she was with him she had fun and his joyful energy distracted her from the pains of real life.

Whatever Goten’s secret recipe was, it wasn’t complicated because he joined her within a few minutes. Goten had also divested himself of his outerwear and shoes. There was an unprecedented level of comfort between them now. Goten wordlessly handed her an appropriate snowman-shaped mug topped with whipped cream, his dark eyes twinkling in the firelight as he watched her take her first sip.

She couldn’t avoid the whipped cream getting on her nose but she powered through and got the smooth warm chocolatey liquid coat her tongue in its decadent sweet bitterness. 

“So what do you think?” His earnest face looked at her in anticipation

“Goten, this is basically melted chocolate with a splash of milk to thin it out and make it drinkable.”

“I know, isn’t it great?” He beamed at her, evidently, happy with her feedback.

“Totally.”

* * *

There was no Holiday Fun with Goten today as he had to work but it was edging closer and closer to Christmas and Bulma had wanted Bulla to deliver their gifts to the Sons before the annual Capsule Corporation Christmas party and toy drive.

“Hey, Videl!” Bulla announced as she let herself into their home. They never bothered locking their doors as they were so far out in the sticks, no one knew people even lived there.

“Nice to see you, Bulla!” Videl greeted her. Bulla could sense she was the only one there which was a shame since she hadn’t seen Gohan in a while. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good, gettin’ into the Christmas spirit.”

“Yes, I heard,” Videl said with a coy smile. Bulla put her guard up. Videl was normal despite having a showboating fraud of a father and alien family and friends. Earth norms didn’t fly over her head like the others. “You’ve been going on dates with Goten—” Videl started to say.

“No, I haven’t!” Bulla lost her grip on the packages she’d been handling and they fumbled out of arms.

Videl giggled at her denial, no doubt, noting the way her face reddened. “What do you call them then?”

“Family acquaintance outings!” She couldn’t have called Goten her friend when they started making their way through the Holiday Fun Schedule. Now that they knew each other better, Bulla didn’t want to be his friend. “How do you even know about any of that?” To her knowledge, no one paid attention to the Holiday Fun Schedule and  _ she  _ hadn’t been telling anyone what they were up to for precisely the reason that they’d misinterpret things, like now with Videl.

“Did you go ice skating with him?” The older woman didn’t answer her question and it looked like she had no intention to.

“It was on the schedule, wasn’t it? You would know if you bothered to come to any of them.” Bulla didn’t mean to sound nasty but spending so much time with Goten made her appreciate him all the more and it hurt her that no one else did.

Videl looked unbothered by Bulla’s tone. “We go to plenty, just not those first ones that Goten disguises as his errands and chores as ‘holiday fun.’” Yes, Bulla had been duped by those too. “Funny, he called all of us and said he wasn’t doing any of that stuff this year.” She pointedly looked Bulla up and down. “Apparently, he didn’t want our company.”

* * *

Bulla’s smiles were ruining her makeup around her eyes but she couldn’t help it. There was something between her and Goten, he must have felt it too. Why else would he cancel on everyone else but make sure she was coming?

She had been worried as she grew fonder and fonder of him that her crush would never be reciprocated. He was thirteen years older than her, he had seen her grow up, had always known her as pseudo-family and likewise, she had to get over that hurdle herself but it was easy once she spent meaningful one-on-one time with him. Though it was likely easier for her than him to get over the age gap. She began to see him more as a person than just a fixture in her childhood; an extension of her brother. Maybe he was starting to see her as more than Trunks’ sister. Maybe she’d get those earrings meant for Marron. Maybe Bulla was the ‘special girl.’

Unlike herself, Goten couldn’t make his own work schedule so he was going to meet her in the park after he got off. Bulla made sure to pack a few blankets, plenty of food, and thermoses filled with hot cocoa, all they would need for the outdoor Christmas movie screening.

Goten said he would be driving straight from work and in her conniving mind she saw an opportunity to extend her time with him; fly over and ask for a ride afterward. He might even pass her house of his own volition and say there were more Christmas movies to watch at his place. At least, that’s what she was counting on. Satisfied with her plan, she headed out to get to the park and set up before he got there. He’d use his energy to find her, she was sure of it.

She soon felt Goten coming along but with another familiar presence. She saw them together before she pieced together who it was. Goten was walking over to her all smiles and attention focused on the woman next to him.

_ Wait, so he didn’t cancel on Marron?  _ Bulla felt her heart drop to her stomach.  _ Stupid Videl, filling my head with lies!  _

Bulla didn’t bother standing up to greet her old friend. There was too much jealousy bubbling up in the pit of her stomach for her to be genial.

Marron, for her part, looked just as surprised to see Bulla as Bulla was to see her. “Hey, Bulla. How’ve you been?” The blonde shook off the unexpected sight of Bulla quick enough to sound like there was nothing amiss but Bulla felt the unease radiating off Marron’s spirit.

“Just peachy!” Bulla put on a fake smile, one that wouldn’t mess with her makeup. “And you? Why today of all days did you decide to join us?”

“Us?” Marron questioned with a raised eyebrow to both Bulla and Goten. “So you’ve been keeping up with the Holiday Fun Schedule?”

“Yeah, Bulla’s been gracious enough to join me for everything,” Goten said before Bulla could reply. He didn’t seem unnerved by anything that was going on nor notice the tension between the two women.

“That’s nice,” Marron said with a small smile but to Bulla, she didn’t look happy. “I got the fun schedule and quarterly newsletter but it kind of fell under some stuff and I forgot about. I saw it the other day and thought, ‘Why not?’ I figured Goten could use the company.”

“And I’m glad you did,” Goten said without a hint of insincerity. He genuinely looked happy to see her. “It would be good for us to catch up. I feel like I haven’t seen or talked to you in a while.”

Much to Bulla’s chagrin, Marron laughed. “Goten we message each other almost every day. Just what do you think you’re missing out on?”

“Seeing your face I guess.” The old friends laughed at that, leaving Bulla out in the cold.  _ What was I thinking? Am I really that naive that I ensnared him away from the woman he bought a million zeni earrings for?  _ The news that he messaged Marron every day was also quite the blow to Bulla. She had begun to think she was special in Goten’s eyes but evidently, she was not.

“Is that my hot chocolate recipe I smell?” Goten said once he managed to tear his gaze away from the pretty blonde. 

“Yeah” Bulla mumbled, no longer feeling so magnanimous. She held out the thermos to him which he took greedily. 

“Care for some, Mary?” He ignored Bulla and offered up  _ her  _ kitchen effort to Marron.

“Not today, ‘Ten,” Marron said.  _ Great, they even have nicknames for each other.  _ “But you enjoy it for both of us, okay?” 

Goten shrugged and downed some of the concoction, his eyes widening as he swallowed his first gulp. “This is great, Bulla, I’d say it might even be better than mine.” That made Bulla perk up a bit. “What’d you do differently?”

“Experimented with different cacao ratios,” she said and patted the spot next to her. The blanket she brought was meant for two but Marron made three. She was hoping that meant Goten would go for squeezing up to her instead of huddling up with the more age-appropriate woman. 

“Wow, why haven’t I ever thought of that?” Goten shook his head but followed Bulla’s cue and sat on the blanket. “C’mon, Mary, join us, there’s plenty of room.” And just as Bulla hoped sidled up closer to her to make room for their friend. A sight not unnoticed by Marron, her mouth transformed into a small frown. She still took her spot on the blanket and just in time too. An MC directed their attention to the big projection screen in the park much to the cheers of the audience and the old black and white film began to play. 

Though Bulla won in the short-term, she didn’t win the long game. It felt like every minute or so, Goten and Marron were whispering to each other and cracking jokes. Goten only ever said anything to Bulla when he wanted her to pass him a snack. All that made for an incredibly disappointing experience. No Christmas magic or holiday cheer here. The ending couldn’t come soon enough for Bulla but she was still glad when it did. 

Bulla resisted the urge to pull the blanket up from underneath them when she started gathering the stuff she brought. The two old friends got the hint though and helped her out with her things. 

“You can drive me home, can’t you, Goten? I took the bus today,” Marron said once Bulla had all her bags in hand. “It’s on the way to your place. We can drop Bulla off first.”

“I see no problem with that.” Goten shrugged. Bulla, however, did have a problem. That meant Goten and Marron would be alone without her for who knows how long! He’d pull up to her house, she’d invite him in for a nightcap. They’d get to talking and then cuddle up in front of the fire. Goten wouldn’t be able to resist and would give Marron her Christmas present early. She’d be all like,  _ “Oh, thank you, Goten!”  _ like a breathless damsel in those old movies—like the one they just watched—next thing you know, one thing leads to another, and Marron’s pregnant and they live happily ever after. Their love story was so perfect it made her sick. Well, Bulla refused to be a part of it.

“Honestly, it’s okay,” Bulla said as Goten and Marron gathered up their things. “I’ll be fine flying home. I mean, that’s how I got here in the first place.” She walked away from them trying to get a hold of her emotions; her scowl would betray her if she looked back. She didn’t mind admitting to herself that she had feelings for Goten but she greatly minded being made a fool of.

“Wait!” Bulla heard Goten call out after her but she did what Orpheus should have done and kept going without turning back.

* * *

Bulla didn’t have much to do with her mom’s annual Christmas party. Like her dad, she showed up and ate food but unlike her dad, she did like to socialize a bit. This year would be a little different. She had been rather cold to Goten in their message exchange. She didn’t outright ignore him but kept her responses short and few and far between. She was afraid to ask what happened with Marron the night of the film screening but she was likely going to find out today. Like all her mom’s parties, no one in the inner circle ever failed to show up, especially not Krillin, Eighteen, and their daughter because Eighteen knew more people on her side meant more chances to win in the raffle. All that was required was a toy donation for entry.

Bulla put on a killer dress for the occasion; a tight short green velvet number with a plunging neckline. Red was more her color but she felt green better suited her mood. Unfortunately, her resolve to be cool to Goten crumbled once she felt him enter the elegant banquet hall. It was always his energy that demanded her attention, always so warm and welcoming, but it was his looks that kept her there. He had his hair cut into a quiff, giving him that classic dapper look of an age gone by. He looked older and dapper without the shaggy cut and Bulla’s knees weakened at the sight of how the lack of hair around his face showed off, rather than hid his chiseled jawline. If that weren’t enough, he wore a basic black and white tuxedo but damn did he make it look extraordinary. For all her effort to leave him drooling, she was the one with her tongue hanging out.

Then something unusual happened. She and Goten locked eyes, as always Bulla felt the pull between them and let her silver strappy heels move of their own accord towards him but then, he turned away and deliberately moved off to somewhere else as if he was avoiding her. That rejection chilled her to the bone, the only thing that could warm her up were the flutes of champagne offered by every passing waiter. 

How had she envisioned this night to go? Before the movie night, she’d have thought she and Goten would have sequestered up somewhere, laughing and drinking. She might have even lured him into helping wrap the toys soon to be distributed. But one thing she had taken for granted during their time together is that Goten  _ had  _ to pay attention to her when she was the only one there. When there were more people about, her company fell way down the list of people he wanted to spend time with. On the top of that list was Marron.

Krillin and Eighteen came with their usual haul of gifts to earn their raffle tickets, followed by gorgeous Marron in a light blue slip dress. Of course, Goten came running to the blonde’s aid right away to unburden her from the pile of toys she was carrying.

Bulla didn’t want to watch that so she did what any reasonable adult would do, she went to sit in a corner and brood with her father. Then she remembered she was still mad at him for the cookie competition and found her own table in the corner to brood in. 

Her brooding was soon interrupted by the clearing of someone’s throat. “Um, hi.” It was a young man, likely one of the newest Capsule Corp executives. “I’m Gene, operations analyst.” He stuck out his hand, smiling nervously. She knew where this was going and resisted rolling her eyes but offered up her hand anyway.

“Bulla,” she said.

“Oh, I know,” he said a little too quickly and appeared to be scolding himself for it. “Sorry, just saw you sitting there and wondered if you wouldn’t mind some company? Can I get you anything? A drink?” Gene looked incredibly unsure of himself. There was an innocent quality to him that reminded her of Goten and she couldn’t bring herself to be all out dismissive to him.

“Tell you what,” Bulla started. “My mom has banned me and a few others here from the buffet line over there—” She pointed to the many rows of chafing dishes and servers doling out portions. “—until everyone else has eaten. If you could build me four or five plates with everything, that would be great.” She smiled at his open-mouthed gawk.

“Uh, yes, of course!” Gene said before springing into action.  _ That’s one workaround, I guess.  _ Getting to the food before her fellow Saiyans perked her up a bit. The only one her mom trusted was Gohan because he was too polite to serve himself right away.

Gene soon returned with her five plates and gave them all over to her. “Is this enough? I can get more for you.” Bulla could feel angry eyes on her and turned to see her father glaring at her good fortune at finding a stooge. She smiled and waved at him after taking an obnoxious bite of the lobster mashed potatoes.

“It’s a start,” Bulla said and indicated to the seat next to her. “You didn’t get yourself anything?”

“Um, no,” Gene said as he settled down next to her. “I’m, uh, not that hungry.”

“So what brings you my way then?” Bulla dug into her plates when she wasn’t talking, more interested in the food than the brave soul that approached her.

“Well, you’re like really pretty,” he said. This one wasn’t much of a smooth talker but she appreciated it all the same.

“Aww,” she cooed a little condescendingly. “Thank you!” She did enjoy compliments on her beauty.

“Yeah,” a bolder Gene said, her reaction giving him more confidence. “You’re probably the prettiest one here.”

She laughed at that. “Thanks but that’s actually my brother.” She pointed to the bar where he was hanging out with Goten and Marron and suddenly the high from Gene’s compliments came crashing down. “Gene, can I ask you something?” He nodded rapidly. “How do you treat a girl that’s a friend versus one that’s a romantic interest?” She figured it would be beneficial to get a male perspective on this. The only guys in her life at the moment were her brother—who would be too damn nosy—Goten—who was  _ her _ romantic interest—and their fathers who were completely clueless about, well, everything.

“Um, well, I suppose.” Gene lost his nerve at being put on the spot. “If a girl I like messages me, I can’t wait to get back to her. A friend, I don’t necessarily feel compelled to get back to right away.” 

“Uh-huh,” Bulla said though her eyes and mind drifted back to the bar where that little trio was huddled together laughing and having the time of their lives. “So say,” she turned her attention back to Gene, “If you were spending lots of alone time with the girl you liked and then your female friend crashed one of those outings as a third wheel, if you really liked that first girl, you wouldn’t be paying attention to your friend more, right?”

Gene looked pensive for a moment, not answering right away. “Not necessarily,” he paused, thinking a bit more. “I don’t know about anyone else but I can get a little anxious around women I like. If I’m talking to my friend more it’s just because I’m nervous and need to ‘retreat’ so to speak.”

“Huh.” Bulla leaned back in her chair, never considering that possibility but she shook her head. That couldn’t possibly be it. “But you would never buy earrings that cost one million zeni for  _ just a friend _ , right?”

“Yeah, no way. If a guy did that for you, I’d say he’s into you without a doubt.” It was sweet of him to assume that she was the one getting one million zeni earrings but she wasn’t. It was Marron. Beautiful blonde Marron whose hand was resting on Goten’s back.

“Thanks for that, Gene.” She quickly ate up what was on the rest of her plates and said, “Let’s dance.” There weren’t many people on the dance floor yet as Bulma hadn’t broken out the disco lights but Bulla wasn’t the one to get things started either.

Much to her delight, Gene was a fantastic dancer, far more confident out here than he was at the table. Though she was still hurt inside—it was impossible not to—she let herself be distracted by the joy felt by all the other people in the room feeling the Christmas spirit. 

But then Bulla’s romantic rival—who didn’t know she was her romantic rival—approached her and asked to speak with her for a moment. Bulla felt her back tense up having a feeling she knew what it was about. Bulla began to feel guilty about the hostility she was feeling toward Marron these past days. Marron was her friend before Goten ever was, if anything, Bulla was the one interloping. Who knew how long the Goten and Marron endgame had been in the works? Maybe Marron was dying to tell her about it and wanted to make sure she wasn’t stepping on Bulla’s toes.

Though she was loath to leave the dance floor, the desserts were out anyway and Bulla grabbed a few plates on the way to the table Marron led them to. “So what’s up?” Bulla said.

“You didn’t talk much a few days ago at the park screening. Is everything all right?” Far from a giddy girl with a crush, Marron looked deeply concerned for Bulla.

Bulla didn’t bother hiding the bemusement from her face. “Uh...yeah? Why is that so weird?” She dug into her chocolate cake to occupy her mouth. Her strategy was just to keep Marron talking, maybe something would be revealed.

“It’s just,” Marron hesitated and tugged at her hair. “Do you like Goten?”  _ That was certainly revealing. _

She didn’t want to lie to Marron but she didn’t want to stand in her way either. “What makes you say that?” Bulla probably revealed more with that question than she intended to.

“He told me you two were spending an unprecedented amount of time together and it made me a little worried—”

“No, no!” Bulla was quick to say even though she was mid-chew. “We’re not even really friends, I doubt we’ll talk much after the holidays are over. There’s nothing to worry about.” Her confession didn’t seem to relieve Marron in the slightest. Her expression still had that slight frown and shaky eyes. What more could Bulla do? “I mean, he’s a total babe, of course, but he’s thirteen years older. I don’t think either of us has forgotten that.” Marron only looked slightly more relaxed after that but not convinced.

“C’mon, Marron, let’s hit up the dance floor. I have a feeling soon all your Christmas dreams will come true,” Bulla said in an effort to distract the woman. Marron did manage a slight smile at that and joined her on the dance floor. Trunks and Goten were nowhere to be seen but Bulla resolved not to care and enjoyed herself up until the point the disco lights came on. Gene had found a few admirers for his mad dance skills and she was happy for him; she couldn’t say she felt a love connection there anyway.

Feeling a bit better and wanting to get away awhile before the raffle, Bulla went outside into the cool night. Though they were in West City, it was officially winter and the night weather adjusted accordingly. Bulla was thankful for picking a dress with long sleeves. She then heard heavy footsteps behind her, ones she wasn’t expecting.

“Goten?” She turned to see the handsome fellow she essentially had given up on only moments ago. It wasn’t great timing.

“Hey,” he said. His tux was impeccable as ever which must have taken quite a feat for the half-Saiyan. In the weeks she spent with him, he wasn’t the most refined person.

“What’s up?” She tried to appear genial and friendly like she usually did and as far as she could tell, she was pulling it off. 

“Not much, but, uh, I haven’t talked to you once during this shindig, not even to say hi. Doesn’t seem right.”

“And you couldn’t do that in a crowded room?” She teased but she was starting to feel uneasy being out there alone with him. It was nothing he was doing but her resolve to keep her longing in check was crumbling as she felt their energy crackle and dance around each other.

“You had plenty of admirers, didn’t want to get in the way for you.” He shrugged. “What a fun, sexy time for you.” 

Bulla was taken aback by that and didn’t hide her nonplussed expression.  _ What a weird way to phrase things. _

“You cold?” Goten didn’t wait for a response and took off his jacket in one smooth move to put over her shoulders.

“Oh, thanks,” she said. “That reminds me though. I still have your coat. I can’t believe it’s almost been a month and I haven’t returned it. I’ll get that back to you as soon as possible.”

“I’m in no hurry.”

There was an awkward tense silence where they just avoided each other’s gaze for a few moments. Bulla shook herself of those notions. It was stupid. Just because he couldn’t be her boyfriend didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends.

“Sooo,” Bulla began, “How’s it going with Marron?” She exaggeratedly raised her eyebrow. “Did you see her dress? I’m pretty sure those earrings you got her will look fabulous with it. She’ll look like a right snow queen.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he said. “But she and I have always been alright.”

“You don’t have to be coy.” Bulla slid up closer to him. “We all know who you really wanted to join you on all those Holiday Fun Schedule excursions.”

“You?” Goten said. Bulla laughed at his compulsion to be the charmer.

“Oh yeah, then why was I never on your list?” Bulla countered. She had come upon it completely by accident. If she hadn’t, she never would have ever spent time with Goten. 

“Honestly, you intimidate the hell out of me!” Goten backed up slightly as she came nearer. “You’re like your dad but actually scary. I don’t know what it is about you but it keeps me on my toes. I thought you would get mad about the spam.”

Bulla was then the one to back up then. All of it becoming clearer in her head. “Thanks for the jacket, Goten.” She whipped it off and handed it back to him. “But I’m ready to go back inside now. I think they’re starting the raffle.”

* * *

“Merry Christmas!” Her mother shouted. “Everyone get up! Time to open presents!”

Her grandma quickly followed up with, “Time for breakfast!” That sent all the Saiyan members of the family scrambling. Bulla leapt out of bed once her nose smelled the hot chocolate, pancakes, breakfast pastries, and all the other goodies her Grammy had cooked up.

Like always, gifts were unwrapped under the tree and pictures were taken. Bulma loved the eau de toilette Bulla had bought her on that shopping trip with Goten. She knew her mom was having a hard time finding the right one for her skin type and she was pretty sure she found the right one that Bulma didn’t know she needed. Her dad was easy and she opted for a meat of the month club subscription for him this year and while he would never show true elation, he gave her a nod and a little curl of his lip. High praise, indeed!

Vegeta wrote her and Trunks checks then and there, Bulma awarded her children with separate vacation packages, and their grandparents gave them new hoverbikes her grandpa built. “We’re totally racing after this,” Trunks said.

It was Bulla and her brother’s tradition to exchange gifts after everything else was said and done. After their hearty breakfast, the two siblings raced around the compound in their hoverbikes with their mom and grandparents cheering them on.

“Aha!” Bulla said as she got off her bike, crossing the finish line first. “I won!”

“Yeah, you won’t be gloating for long,” Trunks said but didn’t elaborate. Together, they left the rest of their family and went to sit on opposite sides of their dining room table like they were lawyers in an arbitration ready to get down to business.

Not one for sentimentality, her brother just slid the small square-shaped package across the table at her.

“Gee, thanks,” Bulla said, inspecting the small box wrapped in metallic silver paper. Whoever Trunks paid to wrap it was very good indeed. Still, she grabbed at the package and tore at the paper with little care for the impeccable wrapping job. It was a small textured black box with sharp corners and no hinge in sight, but there was a seam running horizontally on all sides. She lifted the top off anticipating her prize.

She let out a delighted squeal as the sparkles practically blinded her. “My earrings!” Inside, nestled in plush velvet were the one of a kind pearl drop earrings she had admired and coveted a month ago. Her eyes narrowed as she began to suspect the jewelry store of weaving tall tales about the rarity of their jewelry. “Goten got the same pair for Marron.” She frowned, remembering how he loved someone else and the ache in her chest when she thought about it.

“As if  _ Goten  _ could afford those!” Trunks guffawed. “And for Marron of all people! That one only has eyes for  _ me _ and hates jewelry.”  _ What?! _ He shook his head still laughing. “I knew this present was a winner since you picked them out.” His chest puffed with pride while Bulla’s mouth dropped open as she pieced it together.

“So that day at the mall with Goten?”

“Yup, he called me to lay into me for not going but when he also said you were there, I found the perfect opportunity to find the perfect gift! I win!”

“What? We’re not competing!”

“Whatever, it’s enough for me that I won.”

“Then isn’t that me giving you the best Christmas present?”

“Dammit!” Seeing Trunks lose was always a pleasure to her but she couldn’t stick around and gloat because she had been completely wrong about Goten.

“Oh no!” Bulla hung her head. “I’m an idiot.” She covered her now reddening face in shame. “I have to go.” She got up in a hurry, but not before giving her brother a peck on the cheek and left his gift from her on the table. “Thank you, Trunks.” She gave him a genuine smile. “Even if you’re super shifty, that was the most thoughtful thing you’ve done.” She’d find out about whatever was going on with Trunks and Marron later. Right now, she had to see Goten. 

She ran up to her room to uncover the present she had lovingly picked out and wrapped herself. Before the Marron-incident, she had every intention of giving it to him but she had forgotten in the corner when she resolved not to cross any lines between them. Now there were no lines—except for the age gap and the general disapproval of such relationships. 

Knowing the Holiday Fun Schedule by heart now, Bulla knew Goten was likely still at home preparing the turkey for his family dinner later.  _ Good.  _ She didn’t want the other Sons to be around when she took the initiative for once in her romantic life. She hopped on her new hoverbike and went straight to Goten’s house. The streets were uncongested since people weren’t working and everyone was mostly at home with their families and she got there in record time.

He opened the door before she could even knock. “Bulla, what are you doing here?”

“It’s on the schedule,” she said, letting herself in. “Cook turkey?”

“Yeah but—”

“And I brought you this.” She held out her present to him. 

He took it with tentative hands and asked, “Do I open it now?”

“If you want,” Bulla said.

“I’d love to but I think I have the perfect gift right here,” Goten said, looking her up and down and hugging her. Reluctantly, he let go and moved past her to grab something under his tree. For all the time she had spent at his house, she had never noticed that small turquoise box with a white bow. It certainly stood out from the rest of the gifts wrapped under the tree. 

“I mean, it’s not platinum earrings but I wanted to get you something you’d like as well as something to remind you of this Christmas, it’s been one of the best in my life. I hope it’s been the same for you.” He placed his gift to her in her hands.

Bulla took the top off the robin’s egg blue box to reveal a silver chain bracelet with ornaments attached. Goten took it from the box and unclasped it, looking at her with a nervous smile. “Each charm represents something,” he said as he took her free hand and clasped the bracelet on her. “First one—the gift box—for the first day you came to help me with Christmas shopping.” Bulla brought her latest present closer to her face for inspection. There was a Christmas tree, a snowflake, a dragon, a cookie, an ice skate, and lastly a plain heart disc. She turned it over to see an engraved ‘BG’ in loopy letters. 

“I’m still unsure of that last one.” Goten bounced on the balls of his feet, hands in his pockets. “But I couldn’t find another way to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” She was still mesmerized by the bracelet and the thought he put into it that she didn’t realize what he was trying to confess. 

“That I want to spend more time with you even after we’ve worked our way through the Holiday Fun Schedule.”

Bulla tried fighting the smile emerging on her face but she was failing. She took another look at the ‘BG’ engraving and dragged her thumb over the letters.

“I can always get you a new one with just a ‘B’ unless you really like Gene the systems analyst,” Goten said.

Bulla laughed then. Yes, BG could stand for Bulla and Gene. “It could also stand for Bulma and Goku,” she said, making Goten chuckle. “How did you know his name was Gene? And he’s an operations analyst by the way.”

“You think I see you having the time of your life with a dance god and I’m not going to find out who he is?”

“Ah, so now you know how I’ve been feeling about you and Marron.”

“Heh, sorry about the ruse.” Goten had the good grace to look ashamed. “But you were surprised, weren’t you?”

“Oh yes, but that doesn’t explain movie night.”

Goten sighed. “She and I...we’re not like that, never have been. We’re friends—very good friends—but that’s it,” he said. “Sometimes, I just fall into it easily with her because I’m not afraid of screwing up.” 

“And the ride home?”

“She wanted to interrogate me about  _ you  _ to make sure no funny business was going on. Seems it’s weird for a thirty-something guy to pursue a girl over a decade younger than him.”

“It totally is.” Bulla giggled. “But doesn’t it feel right to you or am I going crazy?”

“Is it crazy to say my fear of you thrills me?” Goten said. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of excitement about someone.”

“We’re not going to win over everyone,” Bulla warned as she took a step closer to him.

“Mmmhmm,” he said, taking a step forward. “I can think of a few people, but I don’t want to think about them now.”

“Me either,” she said and closed the distance between them but it was Goten who pulled her face to his to massage his lips against hers. The crackling energy she always felt between them came out in full force to send electric jolts throughout her body. She could only think,  _ Is this what it feels like to be alive? _

“See? I told you I didn’t need to put mistletoe on the schedule,” Goten said as he pulled away from her looking straight into her eyes with a tenderness she had never seen before from anyone.

“You don’t need it for this year and don’t you dare put it in  _ ever,”  _ Bulla said and dove in for another kiss, already missing their connection.

“It’s  _ our _ schedule now,” Goten said when they came up for air for the second time. “I’ve loved every minute of it. I can’t wait until next year.”

Not being able to keep their hands off of each other, they soon found themselves back on that rug in front of his unlit fireplace; however, there was enough heat between them to keep them warm. They didn’t get far as Goten’s timer began to ding.

“You better get that,” Bulla said. Though she wanted nothing more than to stay there with Goten on the rug near the hearth, she knew they would have plenty more time for that later on a day when they weren’t expected at their respective family dinners.

As Goten tended to his prize bird, Bulla asked from where she stayed on the floor, her curiosity getting the better of her, “So what about Trunks and Marron? He said that she only has eyes for him.”

Goten let out a raucous laugh growing louder with each passing moment. “I don’t believe in Christmas miracles. That’s wishful thinking on his part.”


End file.
